


The Search For Paradise

by Mx_Amabilis



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27153721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mx_Amabilis/pseuds/Mx_Amabilis
Summary: After the war of Poseidon, the Saints finally return to a life of peace. However, Shiryu cannot relax as memories of the recent battles are still fresh on his mind. Seiya tries to help cheer Shiryu up by offering him a new hairstyle. However, such a simple gesture leads them to share their deepest emotions.
Relationships: Dragon Shiryū/Pegasus Seiya
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	The Search For Paradise

“Seiya, I’m not letting you die here alone.”

It’s been several weeks after the war of Poseidon, yet those words were still clear in Shiryu’s memory. It has been the longest period of peace for the Saints since their battle for Sanctuary. However, Shiryu still couldn’t help but look back at the battles that he’d faced since then. Shiryu laid on the couch, staring at the ceiling as his hair hung over the end of the couch’s arm. Just then, Shiryu heard a very familiar voice speaking to him.

“Hey, Shiryu. Looks like you need a new hairstyle. Maybe I could help?”

Shiryu turned his head back to where the person was kneeling,

“Seiya! How long were you there?”

Seiya replied with a grin and a wink.

“Not long, but I wanted to surprise you. It looks like it worked.” 

Shiryu sat up while Seiya’s grin turned into a sassy smirk, 

“You game or what?”

Shiryu laughed to himself while he returned Seiya’s smirk. 

“Well, I don’t have anything to lose, so...”

After hearing Shiryu’s reply, Seiya snapped his fingers while maintaining his mischievous smile.

“That’s the spirit, Shiryu. Just wait a sec. I gotta get some hair ties and stuff.”

Seiya ran towards the washroom while Shiryu stayed on the couch. He stretched out his arms and let out an exhausted sigh. Shiryu ran his fingers through his hair as he pondered.

After all the times we have been together, Seiya never offered to style my hair for me. I wonder if he has other reasons...

Suddenly, Shiryu heard a loud sound coming from the bathroom. 

“Oh, crap!”

Feeling concerned for Seiya’s safety, Shiryu stood up from the couch and yelled,

“Seiya is everything okay back there!?”

“Uh... Everything’s fine! It’s just a bunch of stuff fell from the cabinet into the sink!” Seiya answered in a panic. 

“Do you need any help with cleaning up?”

“Nah, I got it covered! Just stay there and get comfy, okay Shiryu?”

“Alright, will do Seiya.” Shiryu said with a playful chuckle.

Shiryu sat back on the couch and his put arms alongside the back pillows. 

Seiya rushed back to the living room with his hands full of pins, hair ties, and a hairbrush. He placed the pins and ties on the couch beside Shiryu. Then, Seiya started to comb Shiryu’s hair.

“Sorry about that, Shiryu. I should really get into the habit of cleaning this place up more often.”

Shiryu shook his head and smiled, 

“It's fine, Seiya. I glad that it wasn’t anything serious. Anyways, is your chest pain getting better?” 

Seiya paused and placed his hand on the right side of his chest. His heart was beating at a regular pace. However, Seiya still felt the same dull numbness that was lingered since the battle with Poseidon.

Seiya gave a half-smile while he continued combing Shiryu’s hair.

“I’m doing alright. I mean, my chest is still numb but hey, it could have been much worse. I mean, my chest would hurt like hell if I didn’t have pain killers.”

Seiya glanced at Shiryu with a playful grin, “And you?”

Shiryu looked back at his arm.

“I still feel pain around my limbs and waist, but it’s getting better.”

Seiya lifted the back of Shiryu’s hair, combing it lightly. His grin transitioned into a somber frown. Seiya stopped combing for a moment and sighed:

“What about your chest? Does it hurt too?” 

Shiryu look away nervously, feeling caught off guard by Seiya’s question. A part of himself wasn’t surprised that Seiya brought this up. After all, Shiryu risked his life to make sure that Seiya would not be struck by the arrow that Poseidon reflected. However, Shiryu felt great concern for him and noticed the guilt Seiya felt from his sacrifice. In a way, the feelings of remorse were contagious.

Took a deep breath before he spoke, hoping that his answer would give Seiya peace of mind without being dishonest.

“Seiya, I do still feel some pain in my chest and it will take a while to heal, but to be honest, I’m glad that everything is okay now...”

Seiya nodded slowly, while the bristles of the hairbrush parted Shiryu’s hair gently.

“Well, like with you, the painkillers help a lot,” Shiryu said lightheartedly. 

“Heh, good point,” Seiya replied with a slight smile. 

Seiya started to comb the left side of Shiryu’s head while Shiryu dozed off. The strokes of the comb neither felt overly gentle or harsh. Normally Seiya was someone who did things impulsively. Yet, this time he paid more attention to his actions than normal because Seiya didn’t want to make Shiryu feel uncomfortable. Seiya paused for a moment and held strands of Shiryu’s hair. He nodded while murmuring and then went back to combing.

“Hey Shiryu, can you pass me some of those hair ties? I want to try something out.”

Shiryu opened and widened his eyes, waking up from his daze. 

“Uh, sure Seiya,” replied Shiryu, still feeling a little out of focus.

He took the different colour hair ties that sat next to him and passed them to Seiya. Seiya took the hair ties while giving Shiryu a mischievous smirk.

“Thanks.”

Shiryu returned Seiya’s playful grin and turned away. He could feel Seiya holding strands of his hair, then letting go to hold a different handful. When Seiya started to tie parts of Shiryu’s hair, he would suddenly untie them in hopes of creating a more “suitable” look. Charmed by Seiya's indecisiveness, Shiryu said with a quiet but playful laugh:

“Seiya, even though we have been together for a while now, this was the first time I heard that you were passionate about styling.” 

Shiryu turned his head towards Seiya and smiled. “I’m looking forward to see what you come up with.”

Seiya put a hand behind the back of his head and blushed.

“Hey, now. You had no reason to know. I just wanted to do something to pass the time because you looked bored. I don’t want to give a false impression that I’m an expert or anything. I mean the only experience I had with hair was when I used to join in with my sis whenever she played dolls with Miho.”

Suddenly Seiya's eyes became sullen, yet he tried to mask his vulnerabilities with a lighthearted chuckle.

“Then, I stopped when the guys in my class gave me crap over it. So it was pretty short-lived...” 

When Seiya finished telling Shiryu about his past, Shiryu’s smile fell. Shiryu always knew that Seiya had many hardships in life and he often hid his pain from most people with his happy facade. However, learning that Seiya was rejected for enjoying something unconventional made Shiryu feel a wave of sorrow. 

After all, this was the first time Shiryu was hearing Seiya speak negativity about his time at the orphanage. Seiya always spoke about the Starlite Institute as a positive experience. For Shiryu, the orphanage was a symbol of loneliness, but for Seiya, the orphanage  
was the last time he enjoyed his childhood. 

Shiryu couldn’t come up with the right thing to say to Seiya. However, an instinct led him to turn towards Seiya. He looked at him with a worried but gentle gaze. 

“Seiya, I’m sorry you went through that...”

Recognizing Shiryu’s concerns, Seiya gave Shiryu a grin. However, unlike last time, Seiya’s smile felt like it came from a genuine place.

“It’s fine, Shiryu. I try not to let this stuff bother me anymore. I mean it’s been ages since that happened and I probably won't ever see them again...”

Shiryu smiled and nodded. He turned away while Seiya continued to arrange his hair. Shiryu felt Seiya’s hand running through it from the back of his head. Seiya’s fingers going through the strands of hair caused Shiryu's hair to lift for a moment. Seiya took his hair and  
began to tie it.

“I think I have an idea of what I want to do with it. But man, your hair is so long. I dunno if I could make myself stick to one option!”

“Do you think I should start getting into the habit of cutting my hair short? You can do the honours.” Shiryu said with a smirk. 

Seiya blushed while giving Shiryu a light punch in the shoulder.

“Oh, no way, you look handsome as hell with your iconic long hair!”

Seiya and Shiryu burst out laughing. The happiness they shared felt like they were free from the worries that the world had placed on their shoulders. Even if it was for a short moment. Being both orphans who trained as Saints, Seiya and Shiryu often felt like they couldn’t relate to the little details of mundane life. At this moment, they both realized that bounding together over something so ordinary could give them so much joy. This must be the joy that people felt just by simply being together. Nothing more, nothing less.

After the laughter ended, Seiya finally took the back of Shiryu’s hair and started to tie it together.

“Of course, if you want to, that’s fine by me. I mean, whatever makes you happy Shiryu! I wouldn’t mind cutting hair either. Unless you know, you want a professional.”

After Seiya finished tying the back of Shiryu’s hair, He peered to the side of Shiryu’s head and winked,

“And besides, I’m sure you can pull it off!”

“Well, I’ll think about it.” Shiryu answered jokingly.

Shiryu looked around the room while Seiya was combing and tying the sides of his hair. Aside from a couple of new boxes that were filled to the brim with CDs and VHSs, not much had changed since the last time Shiryu visited Seiya’s house. It was to be expected, due to all the battles they faced as of late. It was only recently that they had time to rest. In some ways, this room felt like it was stuck in time. Stuck in a period of their lives where they were not fully aware that they would be taking on responsibilities that were beyond what was expected for Bronze Saints to partake in.

Shiryu turned towards Seiya and smiled.

“Thank you for allowing me to stay here during my visit to Japan.”

Seiya smiled back at him while he tightened the ties that were on the side of Shiryu’s head.

“Hey, it’s no problem Shiryu. I’m glad you stopped by to visit. I really like having you here! I mean, I was getting pretty bored before your visit.”

Shiryu turned away from Seiya. Shiryu folded his fingers together and let out a sigh of relief before he spoke. 

“To tell you the truth, I’m glad to see that Shunrei and the Master were in good spirits after the global flooding. The Wulao Peaks will always be a special place to return to whenever the world is at peace... But... “

“...Hmmm?” mumbled Seiya.

Shiryu turned and smiled at Seiya. His smile was both somber but sincere.

“I still missed being with my friends, especially you. After staying at the Wulao Peaks for about a week, I realized I wanted to see you in person as soon as it was possible to do so...”

Seiya paused for a moment and saw Shiryu put his hand against his chin. Seiya picked up the comb and combed Shiryu’s bangs extravagantly. While combing, Seiya let out a quiet but cheerful laugh.

“You know, I was feeling the same way. It gets kind of lonely here at the Yacht House. Phone calls are nice and all, but it’s not really the same thing as seeing you in person. Eh, Shiryu?”

Despite Seiya's attempt to light up the mood, Shiryu remained silent. Noticing Shiryu’s melancholy composure, Seiya put down the comb and placed his hand on Shiryu’s shoulder.

“Shiryu, is there something wrong?”

...There is no use in hiding my worries from him any longer...  
Shiryu took a deep breath and sighed.

“I guess there’s been a lot on my mind as of late. Recently, it feels like we’re facing one battle after another. It’s been difficult to make sense of it all”

Seiya nodded and replied,

“Yeah, I see what you mean. I’ve had trouble piecing everything together too. Going through the Twelve Temples, dealing with Asgard and Poseidon... it was a lot to handle. I doubt anyone would think otherwise.”

When Seiya looked at Shiryu’s somber expression, he nervously tightened his grip on Shiryu shoulders and stood quietly. Shiryu took another deep breath before he spoke.

“During those battles, I thought that I had already come terms with the dangers that living as a Saint implied. When I told you I wasn’t going to let you die alone, that was the moment where I had no hesitation about dying... But...”

Just then, Shiryu reached out and placed his hand on Seiya’s shoulder. Seiya’s eyes widened. Shiryu’s warm grip felt firm, yet gentle. Shiryu's eyes began to water as his voice trembled.

“When I watched you risk your own life to break down the final ocean pillar, I felt a kind of fear that I hadn’t felt before. Like something changed inside of me. Since then, I started to rethink what I felt about those feelings that I previously had.”

Shiryu’s grip became tighter as tears fell down his face.

“Even if it was for the greater good, I don’t know how I can bear the guilt of watching you die and knowing that I was responsible for it in some way...”

Seiya stood there in complete silence. Seiya witnessed Shiryu’s body starting to shake while tears continued to fall down his cheeks. Shiryu wept quietly as his tight grip remained. In a way, this gesture alone told Seiya exactly how Shiryu felt. It was like Shiryu was telling Seiya not to carelessly throw his life away. 

Seiya’s hand clasped on top of Shiryu's hand. Shiryu widened his eyes, feeling startled yet comforted by Seiya’s gesture. Being overwhelmed by the emotional atmosphere, Seiya struggled to put his thoughts into words. So much so, that his voice started to choke up when he spoke.

“...Shiryu... I’m sorry... I didn’t know you felt that way... I should take the time to think before I say anything...” 

Shiryu looked at Seiya and saw that he was tearing up. Shiryu's face was still somber but his voice was very compassionate.

“... Don’t blame yourself for what happened. Seiya. It’s not your fault. There isn’t much else you could have done..."

Shiryu looked away from Seiya and sighed.

“That’s just the harsh reality of being a Saint...”

Seiya and Shiryu didn’t move and the room became quiet again.  
Although nothing was said, the atmosphere felt heavy, allowing them to share the sorrowful emotions between them.

Eventually, Seiya and Shiryu let go of each other's hands. Seiya returned to arranging Shiryu’s hair and Shiryu placed his hand against his cheek. He could feel Seiya making a long braid. Shiryu broke the silence with a concern that was on his mind for a while now.

“...Seiya.”

“Uh ...What is it, Shiryu?”

Shiryu wiped his eyes and turned to Seiya.

“Do you have similar worries about, me... I mean during the times when I was willing to sacrifice my life for the greater good...”

“Well, to be honest with you Shiryu, I do. I mean, I try to tell myself that everything will be fine in the end. But...”

Seiya turned to the floor and sighed. The more Seiya spoke, the tenser he felt. He became so overwhelmed that he could not hold back the tears when he spoke.

“... Sometimes, I still worry that you won’t be coming back... Whenever I sense you're in danger, I can’t help but stop dead in my tracks and think about what I should do. I try to have faith that you’ll come back, but it’s still so damn hard to not worry...”

Shiryu remained silent, listening to Seiya. Feeling distraught by Seiya's sadness, Shiryu closed his eyes and whispered:

“I’m sorry, Seiya...”

Seiya shook his head and wiped his tears away. 

“No, it’s fine Shiryu. If you can say that you feeling this way isn’t my fault, why would it be yours?”

Seiya returned to braiding Shiryu hair while Shiryu sat still with his arms crossed. Seiya tried to braid as gently as he could, however, there was a sense of clumsiness in how Seiya wove the strands of Shiryu’s ponytail. While braiding, Seiya hummed a song called “Almost Paradise”, a song that he shared with Shiryu recently. Although the original song was in English, Shiryu generally understood that the song was about soulmates finding each other. It was all possible since Seiya knew some English.

Looking back at it, Shiryu understood why this song would resonate with Seiya, especially after the many trials they faced. In a sense, the song was therapeutic to Shiryu as well. Shiryu felt calm listening to Seiya humming, remembering the lyrics in his head. Shiryu closed his eyes for a moment as his heart felt a sense of peace.

“Seiya...”

Seiya paused and turned towards Shiryu. Although Shiryu's voice still sounded hoarse from the crying, his eyes had a sense of tranquility to them. Shiryu took a deep breath and continued to speak.

“For a long time, I felt that Saints needed to give up parts of their humanity for the greater good. Although I understand the reasons why I couldn’t help but feel remorseful.” 

Shiryu looked up towards the ceiling and took a deep breath.

“Now I know that no matter how much we try to deny it, we still mourn for each other. This made me realize that humanity will always be a part of us. Although I feel glad that I don’t have to deny my humanity, understanding these feelings all at once is still hard for me to process.”

After hearing this, Seiya grinned in a way that was both playful and genuine. He patted Shiryu shoulder and said,

“Now that you mention it, I don’t think I would have it any other way, Shiryu... I mean, you can’t feel grief if you don’t love each other,” 

Seiya added while putting some finishing touches on Shiryu’s braid.  
Seiya’s comment made Shiryu smile. Shiryu put his finger against his chin and replied.

“What you just said reminds me of something the Master told me”

“What was it?” Seiya tilted his head out of curiosity.

“He told me, ‘the way to honour someone’s departed soul is to celebrate someone's life. So their love and memories will live on.’”

“Makes sense. But Shiryu-” Seiya let out a snicker, “ -we're not dead yet!” 

Shiryu and Seiya laughed together. Once the two settled down,  
Shiryu beamed at Seiya.

“True, but we can still celebrate each other lives even when we're still alive.”

“Good point!”

Seiya laughed while combing Shiryu’s hair for the last time. Once he was finished, Seiya looked at Shiryu’s hair to see if he could make some finishing touches. The hairstyle looked chaotic and silly, just how he intended. Seiya put his arms around Shiryu’s shoulder and snuggled his face against his hair.

“Shiryu, are you feeling better?”

Shiryu gently placed his hand on Seiya’s armed and smiled.

“There are some things that I’m uncertain about. However, I feel more relaxed now. I can rest assured that we will work things out in the end.” 

“I’m glad to hear it, Shiryu. You know, even though I find it hard to come to terms with all that’s happened, I’m glad I got the chance to talk about it with you.”

“Thank you, Seiya. At the end of the day, I’m just happy that we're together through all of this.”

Seiya rested his head on Shiryu’s while Shiryu maintained his soft grip on Seiya’s arm. The room fell into silence, but unlike last time; the two men’s spirits felt at peace. Almost as if time itself has stopped.

However, as soon as Seiya woke up from his trance he ended the silence with a playful remark. 

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot to tell you, but I’m finished with your hair.”

“Really?” Shiryu answered.

Seiya lifted his head while Shiryu let go of Seiya’s arm. Seiya walked in front of Shiryu and held his arm out for Shiryu. Grabbing Seiya's hand, Shiryu stood up from the couch. Feeling groggy for sitting for so long, Shiryu let out a big yawn. 

Upon seeing Shiryu stand up with his new hairstyle, Seiya covered his mouth in attempts to hide his laughter. Shiryu raised his eyebrows while crossing his arms.

“I’m starting to wonder if I will regret this.”

“I dunno. I’ll let you decide,” Seiya said while still trying but failing to contain his laughter. 

When Seiya got his laughter under control, he signaled Shiryu to follow him while walking towards the washroom.

“Come on Shiryu, I’ll show you what it looks like!”

Shiryu shrugged his shoulders and followed Seiya's lead. Before Shiryu stepped into the bathroom, Seiya held Shiryu’s hand and excitedly said:

“Shiryu, close your eyes! Trust me, it’s going be even better if it’s a surprise!”

Shiryu listened to Seiya's instructions. He held onto Seiya’s hand as he guided him to the washroom mirror. Seiya let go of Shiryu’s hand. He took a handheld mirror that was sitting by the sink and held it to show the back of Shiryu’s head.

“Shiryu, you can open your eyes now!”

Shiryu opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was two pigtails that were tied together with brightly coloured hair bands. He also saw Seiya holding a handheld mirror with a huge grin on his face. The reflection of the mirror that he was holding showed Shiryu that there was a long braid in the back. The braid was tied unevenly, but that was a part of its charm. Seeing the final results made Shiryu burst out laughing. He didn’t know what to expect from Seiya but regardless, Shiryu was amused by the chaotic style. 

At this moment Shiryu felt content because he noticed how small yet caring gestures in life can cheer someone up. Even if he was a Saint that faced many trials. Maybe it was because they faced hell together, small moments such as this felt all the more precious.  
Seiya placed the mirror down by the sink and turned to Shiryu.

“I’m not sure if your laughing is because you like it or-”

“I love it!”

Seiya tilted his head.

“Really?”

Shiryu moved steadily towards with his eyes closed. Seiya returned Shiryu’s gestures which led to a kiss. At that moment, Seiya understood, they both had gratitude for one another. The happiness and sorrow they shared, through the small moments to the big events, made their hearts feel connected. This connection they felt made the two feel safe in a world that threw many hardships at them for as long as they could remember.

Seiya and Shiryu moved back, ending their kiss. Even though this wasn’t the first of many kisses, they felt both flustered. Shiryu smiled at Seiya, with his face still red.

“Yes, I mean it... I’ll cherish not only this style but this memory, too.”

“Aw shucks, Shiryu. You don’t have to be that mushy... You’re making me blush like crazy,” Seiya said while ruffling his hair.

“Much obliged,” Shiryu said with a bow.

The two left the washroom in high spirits. Many emotions were shared on that day, leaving the two a bit tired but reassured at the same time. When they returned to the living room, Seiya and Shiryu sat next to each other on the couch. Shiryu wrapped his arm around Seiya’s shoulders and said,

“Next time, I’ll be the one who gets to style your hair.”

After hearing Shiryu’s comment, Seiya turned at Shiryu and glared.

“No way, my hair is perfectly fine the way it is,” whined Seiya.

Shiryu smirked. “You wouldn’t know if you didn’t try. Right, Seiya?”

Seiya leaned close to Shiryu with a mischievous grin.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll make your hair twice as crazy if you mess it up.”

Shiryu and Seiya laughed together. When the laughter ended, the two gave each other a loving gaze, which made their hearts flutter. He pulled Seiya close with his arms wrapped around him in a warm embrace. Shiryu snuggled his face against Seiya’s cheek and whispered,

“I wouldn’t want anything more.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's been a while since I wrote a fanfic, but here it is. I started watching the 1980s series and I love the relationship that Seiya has with Shiryu. So, I wanted to create Seiya/Shiryu fan works, including fanfics.
> 
> "Almost Paradise" is a song from, Footloose(1984). I considered referencing other songs, but I think "Almost Paradise" fitted this story the best.


End file.
